Subtext
by Nascense
Summary: VaanPenelo. Seeing what's beneath.


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Subtext

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**#01- Walking**

The path to Bahamut wasn't always an easy one (almost never, in fact), but it built up her strength on the journey—she became strong for him.

**#02- Waltz**

At one point, Penelo could have sworn that Vaan fought like a stoned bobcat, but now after so many months of fighting, he almost seems to dance in the brawl.

**#03- Wishes**

It's been awhile since she's looked at the stars, but it's also been awhile since she believed in their power.

**#04- Wonder **

Vaan always amazed her—whether he was fighting or bargaining or dreaming or even just thinking, because Vaan didn't assume anything—he simply _knew._

**#05- Worry**

Penelo became a healer to steady her wildly palpitating heart she saw Vaan get so much as a scratch.

**#06- Whimsy**

Penelo had to be frugal with her money, but sometimes when she saw something completely useless that she wanted so _desperately, _Vaan just sighed and bought it for her anyway.

**#07- Wasteland**

When Vaan woke up at midnight, terrified at the feeling of loss weighing down upon him (crushingcrushingcrushing), and when he felt he had nothing left to live for, he simply thought of Penelo, and the nightmares didn't seem so omnipotent anymore.

**#08- Whiskey and Rum**

Vaan had only ever seen Penelo drunk once, and when she pulled out her staff and started to get into street fights with the men at the bar, he promptly decided that Penelo and alcohol simply did not mix.

**#09- War**

With Penelo tucked into his side, Vaan could almost forget a war was going on—that is, until she left the next morning.

**#10- Weddings**

When they were little, still untouched by war and despair, Vaan had given Penelo a little plastic ring and claimed that they were to be married some day.

**#11- Birthday**

Penelo's 18th birthday passed without notice, but Vaan (though completely broke) managed to get her a new silver comb anyway.

**#12- Blessing**

Penelo wondered if Vaan knew what he meant to her—because, surely, without him, her life would be a dark place indeed.

**#13- Bias**

When Vaan asked whether he or Balthier was a better fighter, Penelo claimed that she couldn't judge impartially, because Balthier was an overall asshole, and she liked Vaan better anyway.

**#14- Burning**

The first time Penelo killed a monster, her soul felt like it was on fire, and as though he'd heard her silent screaming, Vaan immediately came to her with his smile so much like sunlight.

**#15- Breathing**

When Reks died in battle, Vaan and Penelo had to learn to live again—and they did it slowly, one breath at a time.

**#16- Breaking**

Penelo went out with a stranger one night, and when she came back, all sunshine and smiles, Vaan wanted to shatter the guy's face for being the one to make her happy.

**#17- Belief**

Penelo didn't believe in a lot of things, hadn't since the war, in fact—happiness, revenge, innocence, happily-ever-afters—but she knew that if there was one thing she could count on to never disappear, it was Vaan.

**#18- Balloon**

It hurt so much to love him that sometimes she felt like tying up her feelings and letting them float away.

**#19- Balcony**

Vaan couldn't be the Romeo to Penelo's Juliet, but he could sure as hell try to keep her satisfied.

**#20- Bane**

Penelo clutched Vaan's hand as he struggled to take in every breath and then the next, silently contemplating a life without him (all she saw was nothingness).

**#21- Quiet**

Theirs was a language that needn't be explained, it just _was_.

**#22- Quirks**

Every time he saw her new outfit, he blushed.

**#23- Question**

"What the hell Vaan, are you looking at my ass?"

**#24-Quarrel**

He had problems with her going out in public with a shirt that barely covered anything at all.

**#25- Quitting**

She was his addiction, and she was impossible to give up.

**#26- Jump**

It was too hard for Penelo to resist him for so long, so she took in a deep breath, beat back her inhibitions, and took the plunge.

**#27- Jester**

Vaan was the trouble-maker in their little ragtag group, but Penelo knew that on the night before the final battle, he only goofed around because he was terrified.

**#28- Jousting**

Penelo fell to the ground, eyes wide with fear as the blade of her opponent descended—but suddenly, he was right there, blocking the blow with his sword, and saving her again (like he always did).

**#29- Jewel**

Penelo was the most precious thing in his world.

**#30- Just**

He might not have always been the hero, but he had never been the villain, and she was okay with him being an inbetween.

**#31- Smirk**

Whenever he won an argument (and knew it) he just gave her that little tilt of the lips, and it always sent her back into an apoplectic rage.

**#32- Sorrow**

She didn't like to close her eyes at night, because they were always there—the faces of her long-dead brothers—and she almost choked on her grief, wishing Vaan was with her.

**#33- Stupidity**

Vaan didn't always think before he said something to Penelo, and for that he'd gotten many a bump over the years.

**#34- Serenade**

Whenever they stood upon the roof of his airship, just the two of them, hand in hand, she looked at the sky and knew the world was serenading them and them alone.

**#35- Sarcasm**

'_She's really rather snarky,' _Vaan thought as he watched her walk away, tossing her braids angrily.

**#36- Sordid**

She didn't care what sins she commited in the process, she'd always save him.

**#37- Soliloquy**

At night, he practiced saying, "I love you," with the mirror being his only audience.

**#38- Sojourn**

He was her escape from the tendrils of insanity.

**#39- Share**

Vaan whined loudly about being hungry—even though he'd just eaten two loaves of bread—so Penelo sighed exasperatedly, and gave him half of hers.

**#40- Solitary**

Every time she thought back to a time where she more puppet than human, she was reminded why it was that she never wanted to be alone ever again.

**#41- Nowhere**

He tried to regret his feelings for her, but was stunned to realize that with her, regret simply did not exist.

**#42- Neutral**

When he got in fights, Penelo realized that there was no middle-ground; she always fought beside him.

**#43- Nuance**

Penelo never stayed one way for long, and Vaan decided he liked this.

**#44- Near**

Penelo's head fell upon his shoulder as she slept, and Vaan flushed hotly when he felt certain… er… female _things _make contact with him.

**#45- Natural**

Falling into him was as easy as breathing and just as difficult to avoid.

**#46- Horizon**

Penelo never understood the concept of a horizon (the end of the earth—what a lie) but the first time she kissed her rugged sky pirate, she understood that horizon wasn't where the earth stopped, but where her sight did (and suddenly, she felt like their love was very much like that).

**#47- Valiant**

Penelo watched Vaan as he ran heroically into battle and promptly tripped over a rock—she tried to hide her blush of embarrassment with a face-palm.

**#48- Virtuous**

He confessed that he didn't want to love her because he thought it would taint her, to which she promptly replied that with Balthier around, there was no way that her innocence was intact anyhow.

**#49- Victory**

"I said NO, Penelo, I--" She kissed him—that shut him up.

**#50- Defeat**

Penelo never lost to anyone—but when she tried not to love him, she just kept losing over and over… and somehow, it didn't feel like such a loss.

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_A/N: I got inspired by the 1sentence community on livejournal. This is the beta theme. And yes, it's cheesy, but whatever. It was fun to write. ^_^_


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